Posts by scratchme1010

36

In Your Opinion Do Today's Elders Recognize That The Religion Is BS?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i always wondered that while i was in especially when i was an elder.

i recognize that some people,elders included are brain-dead.

but do you think that the average older today knows it's all nonsense?

scratchme1010

I always wondered that while I was in especially when I was an elder. I recognize that some people,elders included are brain-dead. But do you think that the average older today knows it's all nonsense? I know there are some elders that post here regularly and I'm sure they know that it's all BS but what about the others?

I think they do, but many don't feel like they are in the position of saying so or acting accordingly. Nothing worse that endorsing a product you know doesn't work. It's a horrible position to be in.

Additionally, and this is pretty much the case in all kinds of organizations, not just religious, there are other reasons for them to stay. Knowing that the WT is full of --it doesn't mean that it doesn't fulfill other needs that they or their families have.

Many people stay in cults and other organizations for a number of reasons, even if they don't agree or believe in everything they say or do. Those reasons have nothing to do with whether the organization lies or tells the truth.

24

Last Week I Got A Call From An Elder I Haven't Seen In 20 Years...😳

by minimus in

jw
friends

while i was at work i got a phone call from an elder i haven't seen in decades!

he started asking me questions about my family, my ex, and told me that he heard i "was no longer in the truth".

i got a little defensive and he quickly picked up on it and assured me his call had nothing to do with checking up on me regarding the religion.

scratchme1010

Interesting that some JW called you just for that. I mean that in a good way. Were you close as JWs? Was there anything that made him remember you? It's still odd that after decades out of the blue he just calls. Did you inquire about that?

9

Homeless guy begs with the Watchtower

by ShirleyW in

jw
friends

after that crazy story about the bride and groom going out in service in their wedding attire, that reminded me of a scene yesterday in one of the subway stations, a disheveled homeless guy had one hand out begging for some money, "does anyone have some spare change to help me " he kept saying, in his other hand was a copy of the magazine.

so what must've happened was some dub passed him by and instead of giving him a quarter gave him a copy of the latest publication.

although some of the beggars use their money for alcoholic beverage anyway instead of food i'm sure that magazine will be put to good use when he feels the need to take a squat somewhere and needs some paper.

scratchme1010

After that crazy story about the bride and groom going out in service in their wedding attire...

...I know a JW who tweets Bible verses to Britney Spears. The delusion that Bible verses and Watchtower litter-ature will magically save somebody is preposterous.

Gee! Just when I thought I've heard it all! What the heck is wrong with some people!!!

I have to agree that many JWs feel that the best they can do for a homeless person is giving them a WT magazine. Just like people who think that giving them food in thanksgiving or Christmas is all they have to do to help. I have to say, having worked in human services and understanding a little more about homelessness, I can see how much misinformation there is here in USA about homelessness and people who have no place to call home.

7

Thank you!

by longgone in

jw
friends

i want to thank everyone for the support you give in this forum, i know i'm just one of many who feel this way.

i'm not just talking about feedback about my issues but overall i have leaned so much from what is said to help others who have/are leaving the wts.

i also want to add the ripple effect that what help one person here goes forward to everyone else in our lives!

scratchme1010

I don't know if anything I have shared has helped you, but I'm very glad for what you shared. Thanks.

8

Funny event at the Memorial celebration

by DaPriest in

for this award, i would like to nominate something that happened in berlin south english, again.we all have seen people that try to disrupt the memorial celebration, and this is not amusing at all.

its quite sad.

what is amusing is when the disruption occurs from within.an incident occurred once, when a brother was passing the bread around.

scratchme1010

We all have seen people that try to disrupt the memorial celebration, and this is not amusing at all. Its quite sad...

I have come to have mixed feelings about people disrupting the memorial. On one hand I used to think that doing so is not going to have nay actual effect, other than people feeling disrespected and using it to play victim/martyr and claim persecution over it. On the other hand, the WT has had so little regard for so many people's lives and well being, that I can see how some people may want to hurt them in what they call to be one of their most sacred events.

Personally I can't care less about what they do, but I have come to understand some people using that as a way of making their point. I'm not condoning those actions, but I'm not judging (anymore) whoever decides to do that.

9

What could it be?

by Randy notmarsh in

jw
friends

i'm doing some research.

someone snitched over something minor-ish on me about six months ago the person is from a different hall, person got df ( over some other stuff) why haven't the elders talked to me?

.

scratchme1010

...why haven't the elders talked to me?

Not sure where are you standing. Do you want them to talk to you? Keep your research and go on with your life. I think that may be time you can use to prepare for when/if they approach you. Do you know what would you do/tell them if they approach you? If nothing happens now this could be a good opportunity to think about how to handle if they come to you with questions about your research.

If I were you, I wouldn't provoke them.

23

Book study this week...more trumpeting over the organzations greatness

by NikL in

jw
friends

you know, there are some studies that are painful to sit through because of the blatant lies or bull shite spewing from the platform.

then there are those that seem to have no reason for even taking place.. such was the case for last nights congregation bible study.. all it did was talk about how many books and magazines have been published over the years and "aren't we wonderful that we print so much stuff"?

this is a study into important biblical things?

scratchme1010

Seriously?

And you still come here promoting them, seriously?

11

If the "society" were a person, he would be disfellowshipped!

by stuckinarut2 in

that realisation struck me the other day!.

if the society was an individual person, he would be disfellowshipped!

well, he has had a history of telling mistruths, half truths and distortions of facts.

scratchme1010

So, if this "person" was in a congregation, he should be disfellowshipped right?

Not really. The core of the reason for every cult or cultic relationship to exists lies in the fact that the leader/leadership is always right, no matter what he/she says. The WT as an entity is as full of --it as if it were a person, and as such, being the leader of the pack, that person will be the one calling the shots.

If you look at cults where the leader is one person, that person gets away with anything and everything that person wants, including other people's wives, money and lives (some have killed others and gotten away with it).

No changes at all, just a different way of having the cult leader.

6

Why do subjugated people adopt the religion of their oppressors?

by James Mixon in

i always wondered why african slaves adopted the bible.

for the life of me i couldn't understand the attraction.

of course this is not only african slaves who adopted the religion of their oppressors, so i came across a article "the above topic".. five reasons 1)coercion (2)co-option (3)conditioning (4)convincing (5) materialist consequences..in the case of the african slaves they made sure that plenty of bibles be shipped to the south and used to keep the slaves in line... so my question, what will be the religion in the destined future,jw's(no way),scientology (hope not),christianity, islamic or maybe no religion???

scratchme1010

I think the denomination itself won't matter much. The future of any of them, in my opinion, depends on how successful they are at maintaining their people at bay and growing in money, numbers and power.

There are a few things that all of us as human beings need that we alone cannot provide, a sense of comfort, reassurance and certainty about the future, a sense of belonging and community, approval and encouragement, etc. Subjugated or not, people still have those needs.

For as long as religion keeps providing (or giving the illusion that they are providing) ways of fulfilling those needs, they will always be in business.

10

Picking up the pieces

by longgone in

just needing a listening ear, so in advance thanks for being here, no one other than ex-jw's could understand.

they may try, but i think only a person who lived through it could know what's its really like.. i wish i could be supporting others here but i'm so broken myself i can't seem to do that yet.

i hope that will come in time though.. for now, i'm trying to undo the damage done to my family by the wts.

scratchme1010

Thank you for sharing. The only one thing that I will tell you is not to take it on you. Like you, I am born into that cult. I had no other choice and no other reference in life than the nonsense I was taught all my life by all my family.

Concentrate in the future and int he fact that you are starting the process of minimizing the negative influence from the WT. I have a few places where you can go for information, please PM me if you are interested. They are places that specialize in people who have been born into a cult experience.

Other than that, please keep your hopes up. You and I managed to figure out that it's a cult and it's damaging to family. Others can too. It's a process.

Keep posting here, and welcome.